The Blood Red Sky
by Shade-the-wanderer
Summary: Shade has lived on a Zaibach Vione almost all her life. Now she has to make a decision- stay with Zaibach and ecome evil (and betray her family), or return to Fanelia and let die all she has ever known (and lose the only one she has ever loved)...
1. Albatou Secrets

Chapter 1: Albatou Secrets  
  
Everyone was panicked. Folken, my older brother, tried desperately to get Van out of the hallway before he was crushed by soldiers. I was on the other side of the hall, where he couldn't reach me.  
  
But I didn't want him to reach me. I wanted to fight, and he knew that there was nothing he could do to stop me. My brothers watched in agony as I slipped into the quickly moving stream of bustling soldiers.  
  
At six, I was a master swordsman, though Folken had forbidden me to study. However, he knew I would never listen to him, which is why it never surprised him to see me practicing. Van had also taken an interest in the subject, but because he was a boy, he was allowed to study. Van and I were only two years apart. He was eight, and I was six.  
  
As the soldiers approached the palace doors, I drew my sword. When I looked out the doors, I saw at least a hundred Zaibach soldiers. Most were in blue, with two dressed in red. I hated red—it was the color of blood... When I got out, I went straight for the two red soldiers. I smacked them in the stomach with my sword, knocking them down, only seconds before I was knocked unconscious by a soldier.  
  
*In the Zaibach Vione*  
  
The soldier almost dragged me along, seeing as I was still half asleep. I would have been asleep again had he not pulled me out of my cell by MY HAIR. The soldier wore blue. I imagined the red ones were getting sick about that time. The thought made me chuckle. The chuckle made the guard kick me in the back, which stopped me from chuckling. It must have made him very happy, because it made him laugh, which made me kick him in the shins, which made me laugh, and the cycle repeated itself. In fact, it repeated itself until we came to two large iron doors.  
  
The doors opened, and the soldier said, "Lord Albato, the girl is awake." There was a tall man on a tall chair on a tall platform at the end of the long hallway.  
  
The man sighed. "Show her in." I could now walk on my own, but the soldier still pushed me along. He shoved me to the ground in the middle of the hall. My hands burned with an intense heat. A terrible, cold shiver ran through me. This man looked over me, a cringing figure in his hall, who refused to look at him at all. I only feared to look at him because of the tears streaming down my cheeks. "Leave me alone with her," the man spoke out.  
  
"But, sir-"  
  
"DID YOU HEAR ME?! Leave us alone!" The soldier hesitated. "GO!" He turned and left the hall. "Fucking bastard" He muttered under his breath.  
  
Then he looked up at me. I didn't see him, just felt his gaze. "What's wrong, girl? You have nothing to cry about. You're safe here."  
  
"I'm sorry, but my hands-"  
  
"They're burning?" I nodded. "That was a stupid attempt at revenge from one of the soldiers. Don't worry about them, they'll learn to get along with you just fine, I'm sure." He got up and started walking toward me. "Why won't you look at me?"  
  
I tried to stop crying. "I'm afraid that if I do, I'll see the man who murdered my father..."  
  
The man walked up to me and lifted my head, so that my eyes were level with his. "No, that man is long gone." He looked into my eyes, seeing the concern I kept hidden. "What else troubles you?"  
  
"I- I'm afraid I'll never see my family again..."  
  
The man stood up, and so did I. "I'm afraid I can't help you with that. If you see my brother, don't talk to him He's nuts." The man had short, straight silver hair, green eyes, and pale skin. I nodded.  
  
"What do I call you?"  
  
He smiled. "Albato. It's not my name, but don't tell anyone else that."  
  
I smiled. That was the last thing I did before I fainted again. I figured I fainted from loss of blood, because when I looked, half the skin on my hands was gone... 


	2. Dead Man and Dragon Bait

Chapter 2: Dead Man and Dragon Bait  
  
I sorted through everything in the room, desperately trying to find my sword. Then it occurred to me that the Zaibach empire wasn't stupid enough to leave a prisoner armed. Maybe Albato had it...  
  
As I scrambled through the hallways, hardly a soul was to be seen. However, as I rounded one corner, a voice called to me from behind. "Stop running, girl, he gave it to me."  
  
I immediately stopped and turned to see who had called my name. A young boy sat in an inlet in the wall. He had short silver hair that curled out at the bottom, and flaming blood red eyes. The young boy was not wearing a uniform like everyone else. He chuckled. The boy's voice was rough and cold. "Welcome to the vione," he said sarcastically. I just stared at him. How could he be so rough? Then I realized, this boy was Albato's brother! I dropped to the ground and bowed to the young boy. Again, I feared to look up—his father's cold malice was reflected in the boy's eyes.  
  
"Please, don't. I won't hurt you... I promise," he said in a softer tone. I risked a glance up (a mistake that often saw me to a great deal of pain), and found his hand waiting to help me up. I took it, and he helped me to my feet. "Forgive me, I did not mean to frighten you... It happens a lot..."  
  
When I looked up, I saw that his eyes had softened. He was smiling—not the grim, sarcastic smile that he used before, but a real smile. I smiled back. "C'mon, let's go get your sword."  
  
He led me back to the iron doors. I nearly fell back at the very sight of them. Then I remembered the kindness I was shown, and forced myself to continue forward. But Albato was not there... It was completely devoid of life and color. The boy pulled me through the doors.  
  
Then he took me behind the chair, where there was a trap-door in the floor. He led me through it, and down the hall concealed within it. There, at the end of the hall, stood two doors. Each was on the opposite side of the hall from the other.  
  
We went into the one on the left. I stayed in the doorway, while he went in and pulled my sword out from under his bed. "I'm Dilandau, by the way," he said to me while he handed me the sword. "What's your name?" My voice got stuck in my throat. I would have told him my name, but I couldn't remember it.  
  
"I...uh...can't remember."  
  
"Well, what do you want to be called?" I smiled. No one had ever asked me that before.  
  
"Shade."  
  
He smiled back. "Shade..."  
  
A puzzled look spread over my face. "Where's Albato?"  
  
"Oh, uh, I think he went to fight a dragon or something. Some idiotic blue- haired dude was trying to fight it alone. They said he lost an arm, or something.  
  
My heart skipped a beat. "Folken?!"  
  
"Yeah, somethin' like that, how'd ya know?" he asked with a suspicious look.  
  
"He's...my brother..." I would have burst out crying if I was at home in my room, but I thought it best to keep shut, for Folken's sake.  
  
"Your brother's an idiot," Dilandau said flatly. "An idiot with blue hair." I couldn't help but laugh at the remark. "Unfortunately, the best thing we can do now is wait."  
  
"We aren't going to help them?!"  
  
He sat thinking for a moment. "You're right- we should ground the vione. It's the least we can do." Dilandau stood up and left the room. I started to follow him. "You wait here; I'll take care of it." I sat back down, and watched him disappear through the trap-door.  
  
About five minutes later, the vione began to sink. The feeling resembled the one you get on an elevator. Then it stopped, having hit the ground. Not but ten minutes later, Dilandau came back. He looked sad. The boy walked much slower than he usually did. I ran and met him half way through the hall. "Dilandau, what's wrong?"  
  
"He's...dead..."  
  
*SIX YEARS LATER*  
  
I woke up from my memories suddenly. Part of me wished I could have stopped time that day... The day I got here... But there was no way to prevent it, Dilandau would have become his father, whether he was happy with his existence or not... 


	3. Land of the Living

Thank you to all of my reviewers! Sorry it took so long to update. If you think the story is boring so far, hang in there; it gets better. ************************************************************************  
  
Chapter 3: Land of the Living  
  
It was 6:54, only six minutes before I reported to Lord Dilandau every day. I couldn't help but groan as I dragged myself out of bed. My dreams were all memories—memories of happier times (yeah, I know, that wasn't the happiest dream, but it was better than some of the others). When Dilandau became the commander, I started to wear the uniform, even though I wasn't officially a Dragon Slayer. Yet. The only difference between my armor and theirs was that mine was all black.  
  
Every day since Albato's (who's real name was Michael) death, I dragged myself downstairs at 7:00 to talk to Dilandau and 'Lord Folken'. Dilandau had changed so much—the kind young boy he used to be was gone forever.  
  
My pity was why I stayed in the vione. I stayed because I knew if I left, Dilandau would die. I was the only family he had now, unless you count Folken. Of course, Folken wanted Dilandau dead, so he could take over the Dragon Slayers, and I wasn't about to leave the world to his mercy. Of course, he would have to have mercy for me to do so. And he didn't.  
  
I put on my uniform and started sluggishly down the maze of halls to Dilandau's doors. Albato's doors had been sealed forever the day he died. Dilandau wouldn't care if I was a little late. Folken would, but who cares about him? Not me. I might have cared about Folken of Fanelia, but this was Folken of Zaibach. "Folken of Fanelia died 6 years ago," I whispered to myself. Even though he was my brother, I hated him.  
  
A puzzled look came over my face. "What would Van do?" I didn't even know if Van was still alive. Folken had always told me that no one had even noticed when I was kidnapped. I had the feeling he was lying, but there was no way to tell. I often wondered if Van still remembered me... After all, I was just a 'stupid girl'.  
  
I smirked. 'Van would probably hate him, too!'  
  
Suddenly, I had a lot more energy. My pace quickened, and I absent-mindedly reached up to my neck. There hung a small Alexandrite pendant. It always shows my mood; when I'm angry, it's purple, but when I'm happy, it's turquoise. There was another way you could tell my mood—my eyes. They turn green when I'm happy, blue when I'm sad, and red when I lose control, and my pyromania takes over.  
  
I turned a corner, and opened the big, red doors. "You're late," said Dilandau, Dalet, and Folken in perfect unison.  
  
"Yeah, and since when do you care, Dilandau?"  
  
A sick grin spread over his face. "Since I decided to leave you in charge."  
  
"In charge of what?!"  
  
"Everything." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Shade- uh oh, what's gonna happen?  
  
Dalet- I think Dilandau knows!  
  
Dilandau- *mumbling* shut up...  
  
Shade- anyway, we just wanted to warn you that next chapter is told in several different POV's.  
  
Miguel- you have been warned! If you get confused, don't blame me!  
  
DS- Miguel!!!  
  
Miguel- I mean, don't blame us! 


End file.
